This was the advice to small businesses and entrepreneurs from RedBalloon founding director Naomi Simson.
Simson, who is also an investor on the reality TV show for entrepreneurs Shark Tank, started RedBalloon from her home back in 2001. The company, which specialises in selling experiences like sky diving, has now grown to around 60 staff and has featured on BRW’s list of Great Places to Work.
Speaking with The Courier Mail, Simson shared her best advice for small business owners and entrepreneurs: love your staff and treat them as well as you would a customer:
So, as the owner or as a leader in a business, consider your employees your first customers. Invest in them. Thank them. Recognise his or her progress and reward them when they do great work. Be intentional in celebrating the wins – and do this often. Don’t just wait until the annual performance review or even your quarterly staff meeting – do it in the moment, and make it meaningful.
… We have all heard that ‘people’ are the greatest asset of any business – but you need to prove it. Employees are the new customers.
Simson noted that there is a lot of competition, especially in the local technology industry, to hire top talent and the only way you can do this is to create a great work environment.
[The Courier Mail (Paywall)]
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